After Death
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Vrak's plan to use the clones to destroy the Rangers has failed, but it's the Rangers who have lost. How can They cope with Mr. Moran's death?
1. Help Has Come

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch**_

Serena never liked these phone calls from Harwood County. She never liked it when the Megaforce team had to call her. She was usually the one to call Gia, to check in on her and see how she was doing. When it was reversed, when she was the one being called, there was usually trouble.

This time, trouble didn't even begin to describe it. Over the phone, Emma had explained the clones to her. She had talked about how she and the Rangers had been fooled, and how Mr. Moran was dead. Serena didn't need to be asked. She had her suitcase packed left in the morning. She was needed and she wouldn't disappoint.

She walked up to the house and could feel the hurt coming from inside. She didn't know what she could do to help Gia, but she would give it her best shot. She knocked on the door and it wasn't long before it opened. Before her stood an unfamiliar face.

"I'm sorry," the woman said, "The Morans aren't taking any visitors."

"I'm, uh, Serena," Serena introduced herself. She was sure she had the right house. "Serena Smith. I'm here to see Gia."

"Gia?" the woman examined Serena closely, "How do you know Gia?"

"I'm a friend. How do you know Gia?"

"Mom," Emma came to the door and opened it to allow Serena inside. "I told you someone would be stopping by for Gia."

"Mom?" Serena asked as she looked up at the older woman, "But I thought…"

"Mom and Vanessa are best friends," Emma explained to Serena. "After what happened, I thought Vanessa could use someone. Gia's in her room."

"Thanks," Serena walked in and headed straight upstairs. Emma closed the door and headed to the kitchen. Mrs. Goodall watched her go and then walked back to the living room. Mrs. Moran was on the couch, flipping through a magazine.

"Do you need anything?" she asked. Mrs. Moran shook her head.

"I'm still looking for furniture."

"Vanessa, I came here so you could talk," Mrs. Goodall sat down. "I came here so you could vent and say all the things you can't say in front of Gia."

"I appreciate that, Claire, but…"

"Look, if this is about the way I treated Emma…"

"I'm not ready to talk, yet," Mrs. Moran said. "I've already got a few things out thanks to my friend Thomas. The rest of it… you're just going to have to wait. Right now, I just want to pick out furniture for my home. What do you think of this couch? It looks like it would be comfortable, right?"

"You should go to the store and try it out yourself," Mrs. Goodall answered her. "I made the mistake of ordering a chair online once. My back hasn't been the same since."

"Good idea," Mrs. Moran answered. "But there's no harm in browsing. I'll go in knowing exactly what I want. Joe always thought that was the best way to avoid those sneaky salespeople."

"Don't bury it all inside," Mrs. Goodall warned her best friend. "Vanessa, I know things between us aren't perfect, but I am here for you. For you and the girls."

"I'll talk to you," Mrs. Moran said. "I promise, as soon as this gets too hard again, you'll be the one I talk to. Just not right now. Right now, I'm furniture shopping."

"This looks cute," Mrs. Goodall said.

Upstairs, Serena knocked on Gia's door and waited to hear her voice before going in. She smiled at the younger girl and took a seat next to her on her bed.

"Hey."

"Hey," Gia whispered back. Serena took in a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, kiddo."

"Me too."

"Are you hurting?"

"Yep."

"Do you want to talk?"

"I've got nothing to say."

"Do you want to come outside with me?"

"Why?"

"Just to get out of the house."

"And do what?"

"Have fun."

Gia looked up at Serena like she had grown a second head. It didn't feel right to leave the house and have fun. It didn't feel right to have fun. Her father had just passed away. It was a tragedy in her life that couldn't be topped. She felt more miserable now than she ever felt with Cliff. Having fun was wrong.

"It's okay," Serena promised her. "You're allowed to let go every once in a while. You're allowed to be okay."

"He was my dad…"

"And he loved you very much," Serena put her hand around Gia's shoulders and gave her a little squeeze, "but take it from a parent, my kids' happiness tops everything. If I die, I want them to be able to have a good time without me. I want to be missed, but I don't want their lives to stop. Let's go out, let's have fun. We'll see what happens once we're out there."

"I…"

"Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

Gia shook her head. Serena frowned a little bit, "Wait, really? I never have? Uh, that's new. I haven't screwed up, yet."

Gia chuckled. She had heard all about Serena's stories as a Samurai, and how, when trying to help, she usually only caused more problems for herself, for her sister, and for her team. It had to be odd for Serena to hear that she hadn't yet done anything that cost Gia in anyway. She had done nothing but good.

"See, a smile already," Serena said. "C'mon, let's get out of this dark room. Maybe you can give me a tour of the city. What do you do for fun around here?"


	2. Butterflies

Serena had taken Gia out for the day. Mrs. Goodall had gone with Mrs. Moran to look for new furniture for the house. That left Emma alone, but fortunately it wasn't for long. She called Jordan over, and he decided that to get her mind off Mr. Moran, he would also take her out. He had it all planned out. He knew how much she loved nature and photography, and combined the two into one outing by taking her to the butterfly conservatory. Emma loved butterflies and Jordan loved to see her smile, especially if he was the one to do it. He picked her up at her house and held her hand as they walked.

Emma brought her camera with her to the butterfly conservatory, and she was glad she had. She snapped some amazing pictures of butterflies and the plants that were in the conservatory. Even better, she had gotten several pictures of Jordan covered almost head to toe in butterflies. They were all drawn to him for some reason, and no matter what he tried, he couldn't shake the off.

"This isn't funny," he said as he gently ran his hand over his arm to discourage the butterflies from resting on him. "How do I get them off?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders and took another picture. Jordan frowned.

"You're not help."

"They like you."

"Can you tell them I'm not a flower?" Jordan asked and then couldn't stop himself from laughing as a butterfly started to tickle his neck.

Emma giggled, "I don't speak butterfly."

"Get it…" Jordan had to pause to laugh. It was like the butterfly knew exactly what it was doing, "off. Shoo… go away, butterflies. Land on her!"

Jordan flicked his arms out towards Emma. Some butterflies fell off, but they all fluttered back to him to rest. Emma giggled a little more and took another picture.

"This is the last time I do anything nice for you," Jordan huffed. "C'mon, Emma, isn't this getting old?"

Emma looked out from behind her camera and shook her head, "Humans and nature are one. It's everything I love together."

"Don't you have enough pictures to remember this moment?"

Emma snapped another picture. Jordan crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mommy! Mommy!" a little girl cried out as she pointed at Jordan, "Look! A fairy!"

"I don't want to be a fairy," Jordan whispered to Emma so as not to disappoint the little girl. Emma giggled one more time before gently brushing the butterflies away and leaning into Jordan. Some came back, and rested on his head, shoulders, and his back, but most decided it was enough and went to fly somewhere else. Jordan took Emma in his arms and held her close.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked her. Emma nodded her head. She pulled away from him and took her camera off from around her neck.

"Can you take a few pictures?"

"Yeah, sure," Jordan nodded. "Of what?"

"Anything," Emma smiled. "I want to know what the butterfly conservatory looks like from a fairy's point of view."

"Ha-ha," Jordan rolled his eyes. He lifted the camera and without aiming he snapped a picture of Emma. He looked to the screen to see what he got, hoping it would be something he could tease her with. He was disappointed to see he had missed most of her face. "Damn, this is harder than I thought."

When he looked up, he saw a sight that to him was even funnier than being covered in butterflies. Emma had a single pink butterfly which had landed right on her nose. Jordan chuckled as he held up the camera again and this time took a good picture.

Emma wrinkled her nose which caused the butterfly to leave and she looked up at Jordan. He lifted the camera.

"Got it."

-Megaforce-

Jordan had no idea butterfly watching and lunch could be so exhausting. He had taken Emma back to his house after their date so they could spend a little more time together, but she passed out on the couch. Jordan decided not to wake her. He had seen her the night before and talked to her then. He knew it was hard for her to sleep. At night, she spent more time staring at the ceiling than sleeping. So, she rested for a few hours, which gave him enough time to work on an idea he got while walking through the conservatory.

When Emma finally did wake, she blinked a few times before looking around. She saw she was back at the house and remembering the date, she smiled. It couldn't make up for losing Mr. Moran, but Jordan had been so sweet, and so attentive and patient with her. She liked knowing that there was still someone who wanted to take care of her; someone who wanted to see her smile. She watched him as he came out the kitchen, chewing an apple.

"Good evening, sleepy head."

"Evening? How long was I out for?"

"Long enough. I was just about to wake you. I have a surprise to show you."

"A surprise?"

"I made you something."

"What?"

Jordan took Emma's hand and walked her over to the kitchen, where he left a piece of paper on the table. Emma looked down, seeing he had recently drawn something.

"It's you," he told her as she picked up the paper. He showed her a picture he had taken on her camera. "I drew it while you were sleeping."

"It's me with the butterflies?"

"Yeah," Jordan nodded his head and smiled at Emma. "I hope you like it."

"Most of the butterflies are pink," Emma pointed to the picture he drew, then the one he took, "Not here."

"Pink is your favourite colour," Jordan said. "There's some yellow, some orange."

"Your favourite colour," Emma said. "What about the green ones?"

"Uh, I thought it looked nice," he shrugged. He looked down at Emma, "Why? Do you not like green?"

"No, I do. It's just… that was Mr. Moran's favourite colour. How did you know?"

"I didn't," Jordan shrugged. "It just kind of… came to me."

Emma hugged the picture close to her chest and leaned into Jordan, "Thank you."

"Do you like it?"

"I love it," Emma nodded her head. She looked at the picture another time. "How long did this take you?"

"Most of the time you were asleep," Jordan said. "I have a hard time making butterfly wings."

"They are all perfect," Emma smiled. "Thank you."


	3. Not Alone

Mrs. Goodall didn't like being back at home. It had nothing to do with the tension between her and Mrs. Moran. She was able to put that aside for now. It had nothing to do with the fact that her daughter barely wanted to speak to her. It had everything to do with the reason she had been called back to Harwood County. Her best friend was suffering a terrible loss. Mrs. Goodall had been there through everything. She knew Mrs. Moran before she had been Mrs. Moran, and had watched the relationship between her best friend and Mr. Moran grow. It was like a romantic novel, with all the tragedy, pain, and love, and a happy ending.

Only there was no longer a happy ending in store for them. Mr. Moran was gone. Joseph Moran had died suddenly, leaving a heartbroken Vanessa Moran behind to cope with the death of her husband and manage two devastated girls. It was hard work. It was something Mrs. Goodall would never wish on her worst enemy, but it had happened.

She tried to make the best of it. She tried to cheer her best friend up. She went out to the store with her to look for furniture. She tried to get her to talk about how she was feeling. Mrs. Moran was being difficult and insisting she didn't want to talk.

That was, until the salesperson casually mentioned that the couch they were currently sitting on would be perfect for a movie night with the family. Seemingly from out of nowhere, Mrs. Moran burst into tears and couldn't be consoled. The poor salesperson had no idea what he had done, and was trying to the best of his abilities to calm his upset customer.

Mrs. Goodall didn't think about the tension between her and her best friend. She did as she would have done years ago, back when she and Mrs. Moran were inseparable. She took her best friend in her arms, hugged her tight, and rocked her softly while singing a tune she used to sing to Emma.

Eventually, Mrs. Moran pulled away. She looked up at Mrs. Goodall apologetically.

"I'm sorry, it's just… Joe loved family movie nights," Mrs. Moran sobbed and wiped her nose on a tissue the salesperson offered her. "When the girls were very little, he'd help them build a fort out of pillows and blankets, and they'd watch movies from inside. I'd make the popcorn."

"He was an amazing man," Mrs. Goodall answered with a nod, "You hit the jackpot."

"And now he's dead!" Mrs. Moran cried out and fell into Mrs. Goodall's arms. "Claire, what am I going to do? There won't be any more family movie nights! They won't be the same without him."

"You'll figure something out," Mrs. Goodall said. "You know, you and I could always watch a movie together."

"But it's not the same," Mrs. Moran shook her head. "He used to… he would hold me, even when the movie wasn't scary. His arms were wrapped around me and I felt good. I'm never going to feel that way again!"

"You have the memories…"

"I want my husband!" Mrs. Moran cried loudly in the store, which caused several customers and employees to turn at her and stare. She didn't care. She looked to Mrs. Goodall, "He'd… when he watched movies with Gia, oh, god, Claire, this was when Gia was really young. He'd let Gia sit on his lap, and she could eat all the popcorn she wanted. They'd laugh all through the movie. It was amazing, Claire. I'm never… there's never going to be another daddy daughter movie night again! I'm never going to see my husband be an amazing father again! It's not fair, Claire, it's just not!"

"You know," the salesperson leaned in over the back of the couch, "There are other people who would like to have a seat, and might actually be interested in purchasing this couch. I'd hate to be insensitive…"

"Beat it, name tag," Mrs. Goodall snapped. "Can't you see she's going through something?"

Mrs. Goodall turned back to Mrs. Moran, "What do you need, Vanessa? I'll do anything. Just tell me what'll cheer you up?"

"I want my husband back."

"I know you do," Mrs. Goodall hugged Mrs. Moran. "It'll get easier."

-Megaforce-

"Three scoops," Serena said as she walked over to the booth in Ernie's Brainfreeze and set down a bowl for Gia, "Banana flavoured ice-cream. It looks good."

"Thank you," Gia said. She took a spoon from Serena and poked at her ice-cream, "Today was fun."

"I love the zoo," Serena smiled. "I took Terran last month for the first time. He had a blast. He made good friends with one of the apes."

Serena took a bite of her ice-cream and smiled at Serena, "I think the apes are still my favourite. What about yours?"

"Tigers," Gia said.

"Sticking with the Zords," Serena nodded her head. "Though, I've got to admit, the tigers were pretty cool."

"They're always cool," Gia said. Then she bit her lip and looked over her shoulder, just to be sure there was no one she knew around, "Can you keep a secret?"

Serena leaned in closer over the table, "Are you a Power Ranger too?"

Gia rolled her eyes, "Right. Look, I've got to show you something. Promise you won't freak out?"

"As long as it's not a tattoo," Serena joked but when she saw Gia's face fall she knew it was serious, "What?"

"Shh!" Gia grabbed Serena's arm and pulled her into the bathroom. She took off her jacket, "You know the day Cliff died? Well, I got this shortly after."

Serena was stuck staring at the tattoo on Gia's shoulder. "Uh…"

"What do you think dad would think if he knew about it?"

"He doesn't?"

"No?"

"Your mother?"

"Clueless."

"Gia Moran!" Serena crossed her arms over her chest, "How the hell did you get a tattoo without parental consent? You're seventeen!"

"Some people don't seem to think so," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "Serena, really, what do you think dad would think if he knew? Would he be mad?"

"Not… mad," Serena looked at the tattoo again and then at Gia, "Probably disappointed…"

"It's not a tattoo I'm going to regret," Gia said. "There's a reason I got it. It's not just some drunken night…"

"Good, or else I'd be having a talk to you about drinking," Serena said. "You know tattoos are permanent, right?"

"I know. That's why I got it," Gia nodded her head. "Jake says I'm like a tiger, and it is my Zord, so I guess they do represent me."

"So you tattooed one to your shoulder?"

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"To feel better," Gia said. "I know I've got you, Emma, my mom, and… well, dad, always looking out for me but I got tired of relying on other people for help. What… what would I do if… what happened to dad happened to you guys?"

"It's not."

"But what if it did?" Gia asked. "I don't want to be needy anymore. So, I put a reminder to myself that I've got to have my own back. So, do you think dad will be mad?"

Serena had another look at the tattoo. Gia's reason did make a lot of sense in her eyes. The tattoo wasn't something she had done without thinking, and the significance behind her was sure to stick for the rest of her life. Serena knew that what Gia had been through because of Cliff and because of the boys at school wasn't something she would ever get over completely or forget.

The tiger looked strong, it looked pretty cool, but most of all, it looked like it did belong. Serena smiled at Gia and took her into her arms.

"He'd be proud you're looking out for yourself."

"Thanks."

"You know, he's not gone," Serena smiled as she looked down at the yellow Ranger.

"He is."

"Do you remember him?"

"Yeah."

"He's not gone," Serena shook her head. "Sweetie, I don't promise you're going to feel better soon, but I do promise this is going to get easier, especially if you don't let the darkness win."

"Darkness?"

"Emma told me it was clones who killed him. Clones Vrak made. You've got to want revenge."

"I…"

"I just put an idea in your head, haven't I?"

Gia had to think about it for a moment. Until now, Gia had been content with the death of the clones. She had personally killed Troy's and Emma's, and had been responsible for the deaths of Jake's and her owns. Her mother had killed Noah's. She thought that had been all she needed to avenge her father's death. Now, she remembered the clones weren't the enemy, they were a creation. Vrak had pointed a blaster at her, he had created the clone that murdered her father with nothing but malicious intent. It was Vrak who needed to pay.

"Gia," Serena grabbed the younger girl's arms and looked her right in the eyes, "Revenge won't bring him back, you know that, right?"

Gia looked up. She nodded her head.

"I know."

"It's only going to put you and the people you love in danger. You never go after the enemy for revenge. It's too dangerous."

Gia smiled at Serena, "Relax, I know."

"You… you do?"

"I'm not an idiot," Gia said. "Vrak's going to pay, I'll make sure of it, but I'm not about to do something stupid."

"You're not?"

Gia shook her head. She wrapped her arms around Serena, "He wouldn't want me to. He'd want me to be smart about it. When Vrak's time does come, I'll make sure my friends have my back. I'll make sure we're guaranteed to win."

"There's never a guarantee," Serena said to Gia. "Something can always happen, just like you found out with your dad. But as long as you're smart about it. As long as you know that you don't have to face this alone."

"I know," Gia smiled.


	4. Working Through It

Mrs. Goodall carried several bags home as she escorted Mrs. Moran back to the house. After a meltdown in the store, she managed to convince Mrs. Moran to pick herself up and continue with their shopping. All the major furniture had been ordered and the date for delivery was set. Mrs. Goodall carried in the smaller pieces that would decorate the room and that didn't need a moving truck.

"Maybe a move would be good," Mrs. Goodall commented when she noticed her best friend staring into the living room, the place she claimed Mr. Moran had first shown signs of illness. "It could be a good thing. You know, a fresh start?"

"My husband died, we're not getting a divorce," Mrs. Moran shook her head. "I don't want to leave his memories behind. Having to buy all new furniture without him is already too much."

"I noticed," Mrs. Goodall muttered and looked down at her shoulder briefly, which was still a little wet from Mrs. Moran's tears. "I'm just offering solutions that might help."

"I know, thank you."

"Why don't I get started on dinner?" Mrs. Goodall suggested. "I know a great burger recipe that everyone is going to love."

"Emma's a vegetarian," Mrs. Moran said. Mrs. Goodall turned around and frowned.

"Since when?"

"Since she was thirteen," Mrs. Moran sighed. Mrs. Goodall looked over her shoulder at the kitchen and felt a little sick. How could she not have known that?

"Oh…"

"I can show you how to make a great vegetarian burger," Mrs. Moran said, "But I'm sure Gia would appreciate something with meat."

"Okay, yeah, that makes sense," Mrs. Goodall nodded her head and followed Mrs. Moran into the kitchen.

-Megaforce-

Serena was in the park, eating some of the candy she and Gia had bought from the corner store and enjoying the nice weather. It wasn't too hot but the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was a good day to be outside.

"Serena…?"

"Yeah?"

Gia pushed her bag of candy aside, "It has happened before, right?"

"A nice day like this? Yeah, yesterday."

"No," Gia shook her head, "Someone dies. I mean, someone who isn't a Ranger but…"

"My sister had a dog," Serena said. "She loved that puppy to death. Even when he was almost as big as her, she still let him sleep in her bed and cuddled with him. They were inseparable."

"Okay…"

"He died because of the Nighlok. I mean, a dog is no dad, but you try telling Emily that wasn't tragic."

"I'm sorry…"

"You know Mia?"

"Yeah."

"Her father died. Dayu killed him. We all saw."

"Dayu was…"

"A mean bitch," Serena muttered. "I can't say I was sad to see her go. You know Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"He died."

Gia frowned deeply, "This isn't funny."

"I'm serious," Serena said. "We had a clone problem. Just when we thought we got rid of all of them, one turned up and struck us hard. By the time we knew what was going on, Mike was already dead."

"But I know Mike," Gia said. "He's not…"

"Symbol Power and Ranger mysteries work in weird ways. Mike earned his life back, but that doesn't take away the hurt we all felt. Or the guilt. It does get easier, Gia, and just because you're feeling better or happier, doesn't mean you've forgotten about your father."

"What do you do?" Gia asked. "You know, after the bad guys get one of your own?"

"You… win," Serena answered with a little shrug, "There's really nothing else you can do but win. Stick it to them, make the sacrifice worth it."

"I don't think the sacrifice will ever be worth it," Gia sighed. "I miss him. I don't know how your team could move on after losing the dog, Mia's dad, and Mike."

"And a baby," Serena whispered. She looked down at her bag of candy and sighed sadly. "Have I ever talked to you about Carrie?"

"Carrie? Who is she?" Gia asked.

"A um… She… well, she's my niece," Serena said and looked up at Gia. "Mike and Emily's daughter. She died… from an attack… before she was born."

"Serena…"

"Serrator found out about her… I have no idea how," Serena said. "He went to another time and another dimension, where she survived. He used her against us. Your monsters are going to try and do that too. By now, I'm sure Vrak knows what his clones have done."

"He knows about Cliff," Gia nodded her head. "He knows how to use my past with him against me. If he knows about dad…"

"Carrie's death hurt the team, just like every other death before her," Serena said. "The monsters know when they've knocked you down, and they aren't afraid to continue kicking. I'm not going to tell you how to move past this. I'm not going to tell you how to feel better, but I am going to tell you this."

Serena reached across the picnic table and held Gia's hand, "I'm so proud of the way you're handling this."

"You wouldn't be if you had seen me in the mountains."

"You're allowed to get angry. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't try and do at least one stupid thing. But you've turned it around. You're talking to me; you're at home with your family. And you know your friends…"

"Are amazing," Gia nodded. "I know."

"You're going to be okay," Serena gently squeezed Gia's hand. "It doesn't feel like it, but you're going to be okay."

-Megaforce-

Emma came into the house and smelt something delicious cooking for dinner. She walked into the kitchen and saw Mrs. Moran and her mother making hamburgers. She took a seat at the island and looked over.

"Smells good."

"Your burger is this one," Mrs. Moran told her. "I put the cheese on it already. You'll do the rest yourself once Serena and Gia are home."

"Thanks," Emma said, and then turned to her mother who seemed to be frying the meat burgers on the stove. "You, uh… you cook?"

"I used to love it," Mrs. Goodall nodded her head. "I can't remember why I stopped doing it?"

"Not a lot of people cook when they go on vacation," Emma said. Mrs. Goodall turned around to face her daughter, but Emma got out of her seat and started to walk off, "I'll get cleaned up and then I'll be in my room."

"Emma, why don't you help?" Mrs. Moran offered. Emma shook her head and reached into her bag.

"Thanks, but I want to find somewhere to hang this up," she took out Jordan's picture and showed it off. "Jordan drew it for me after he took me to the butterfly conservatory."

"He's a good man," Mrs. Moran smiled. "There's an empty frame in the upstairs closet that might fit. Why don't you take it."

"Thanks," Emma said and hurried up the stairs. Mrs. Goodall sighed when she was gone.

"She really does hate me."

"Well, yes," Mrs. Moran nodded, "But can you blame her? You hurt her, Claire. I thought you understood that."

"I did," Mrs. Goodall looked down at the burgers, "I guess it's just really starting to sink in now. My daughter's a vegetarian? She's dating?"

"I think it's past the dating stage," Mrs. Moran said. "She and Jordan are very much in love."

"Love? I don't even know this boy."

"You don't know your daughter. Of course you're not going to know the boy she's with."

"You know, when she called me and asked me to come down here… I thought it would be different."

"You're here for me, Claire."

"No, I know, and I'd be here whether it was you, or her who called me. I'd have come down the moment I found out about Joe, I promised."

"But…?"

"But when she called," Mrs. Goodall sighed, "I hoped it was because she had forgiven me, and I hoped my coming down would show her that I wanted to change."

"You were in Oklahoma."

"I've been checking in…"

"Every couple of weeks."

"It's not like she wants anything to do with me."

"You're in Oklahoma. Before that, you were in Europe. Before that…"

"I get it…"

"Her father's in prison. The man she saw as a father just died," Mrs. Moran said. "She's going through a rough time without all this things you… haven't done for her."

"I know, but…"

"Right now, you can't try to fix things. Right now, you have to be here for me. If Emma changes her mind about you, she'll let you know."

"I am here for you, Vanessa," Mrs. Goodall took her friend's hands; "I don't want you thinking I just came down for Emma. I just… I hoped I could do it all."

"No."

Mrs. Goodall sighed, "I'm sorry, Vanessa. You know I want to help you. You know nothing's going to stop me from helping you feel better."

"And you are," Mrs. Moran smiled. "I've missed you, Claire. I'm glad you're back, and I'm glad we're both mature enough to handle this even with…"

"Emma," Mrs. Goodall nodded.

"Uh… hello?"

The two women let go of each other's hands and turned around to see Gia and Serena were finally home from their day out. Mrs. Goodall turned back to the stove and hoped she hadn't burned the burgers. Mrs. Moran went back to cutting up the lettuce.

"Hi sweetheart, how was your day?" Mrs. Moran smiled. "Did you and Serena have fun?"

"Um, what happened in here? Have you two been alone all day?" Gia asked.

"We were furniture shopping," Mrs. Goodall answered. "The lower floor of your house won't feel so bare in a few days."

"Okay… anything else you want to tell me?"

Both women shook their heads, "Nope."

"Because it was getting pretty hot in the kitchen," Gia said, "And it's not the burgers."

"Mrs. Goodall and I were just talking," Mrs. Moran frowned at her daughter. "It's been a hard day, I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah, but I don't think I tried making out with Serena to cope," Gia smirked. She saw the look her mother was giving her and started to walk away, "I'm going to get cleaned up."

"Uh huh."

As Gia hurried off up the stairs, Serena stepped into the kitchen. She took a seat at the island. Mrs. Moran looked to her and leaned in a little closer.

"How is she?"

"Gia? Good."

"Really?"

"A lot of questions," Serena answered honestly. "There's a lot of doubt. She is scared, but I'm not worried about her."

"Really?"

"Just… keep it up, Mrs. Moran," Serena nodded her head and gave the worried mother a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay. You'll get through this."

"Thank you," Mrs. Moran said. "Go wash up for dinner. It's almost ready."


	5. It'll Be Okay

Jake kicked the soccer ball high into the air, but lost it as the sun blinded him. He was forced to look down and then groaned when the ball hit his head. He rubbed the top of his head and heard someone giggling behind him. When he turned around, he saw Gia and Emma had joined him on the field.

"Glad someone found that funny," he muttered. "Hey, girls."

"Hey," Gia smiled then leaned in to kiss Jake, "It's been a while."

Jake had nodded his head. He called Gia every night since her father died, but he had given her some space. After stopping her from getting hurt on the mountains and bringing her home, he felt letting her spend some time with her family would help her recover a lot faster than if he kept taking her away to make her forget. Gia had been very distressed at the mountain and Jake couldn't think of anything he could do for her except let her mother and Emma care for her. They understood a lot more how she was feeling.

Not that he didn't understand. He had lost a lot of very important people in his life. His wounds just weren't as fresh and he didn't know Gia as well as the people he had left her with.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, and looked to Emma so she knew he hadn't forgotten about her pain too. Gia shrugged her shoulders.

"It's up and down."

"At least there's an up," Jake said. "I didn't feel an up for months."

"We're hanging in there," Gia answered. "Serena's visiting for a little while, and she's a big help."

"Jordan too," Emma smiled. "He's been stopping by a lot."

"And Emma's mother," Gia said as she wrapped her arms around the pink Ranger. Jake looked a little confused. Emma sighed. She knew she would have to explain.

"Our moms were best friends," she told Jake. "Mrs. Moran shouldn't have to cope with Joe's death and taking care of us on her own. So… I called her best friend to help. I know I'd want Gia around if something happened."

"So, you called the mother who never took care of you to take care of Mrs. Moran?"

"It's working," Emma nodded.

"Having people around who aren't as… affected by what happened is helping," Gia nodded. "Mrs. Goodall is great, and Serena's always been awesome at helping me. You too, Jake."

"I haven't done much," Jake said and started bouncing his soccer ball. "I mean, it's not that I don't want to help, I just thought it was best…"

"Thanks for getting me off the mountain," Gia moved in closer to her boyfriend and gave him a warm smile. "I didn't like it at the time, but you were right to bring me home."

"I didn't like doing it."

"But it was for the best," Gia kissed Jake again. "Thank you. If it wasn't for you, I probably really would have gotten hurt."

"Yeah, she would have," Emma said and nudged her best friend in the ribs. "Thank you, Jake."

"You're not mad, then?" Jake asked and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "You know, because of how I…"

"I'm not mad," Gia shook her head and then glanced over his shoulder at the two other figures walking over. She smiled at them.

Troy and Noah approached the group and were quick to give Gia and Emma comforting hugs and apologies. It had been a while since they had seen the girls, and though it went without saying that they were all hurt over Mr. Moran's death, the boys wanted them to know they were there.

"How are you feeling?" Troy asked. Gia looked to Emma and shrugged her shoulders.

"We're getting there. Thanks for your help defeating the clones."

"There's a load off my mind," Emma said. "At least the ones responsible for his death are dead."

"You were pretty brutal about it," Troy chuckled as he looked to Emma. "I saw the way you… destroyed Gia."

"Hey, she kidnapped my best friend, killed her father, and it looked like she was about to kill Gia," Emma said. "I don't think I was brutal enough."

"I don't think anything is as bad as mom killing Noah," Gia said and looked over to the blue Ranger, "You might want to avoid our house for a little while."

"Yeah, I have nightmares," Noah said. "But at least they are gone."

"Vrak isn't," Emma shook her head. "He's the one responsible for all this. For everything. He's sending down all those monsters, he's always got a hand in whatever the mutants do. He needs to be stopped."

"He will be," Troy promised. "And he's going to pain for all the harm he's caused. His time is coming."

"Not soon enough," Gia muttered.

"It is coming," Noah said, "And Vrak's only made sure of it with this latest stunt. Now, more than ever, we're going to do everything we can to see to it that he doesn't win. He's only managed to piss us off, not beat us down."

"What if we head to Ernie's?" Troy suggested. "My treat."

"I'll never say no to free dessert," Jake smiled. He put one arm around Gia's waist and hung back with her while the others started to walk off. "Seriously, though, how are you?"

"I'll be okay," Gia answered and leaned into him. "Let's just get ice-cream. It's been a while since we've all hung out together."


End file.
